Curling Club History

Curling began in Maple Ridge in 1956 when a group of local curling enthusiasts formed the Golden Ears Curling Company under the presidency of Art Emery. The Company proceeded to purchase enough land to house a four sheet Quonset-type building with four parking spaces. In 1957, the first rock was thrown.

Three of the original Board of Directors still reside in Maple Ridge, with Dale Longmuir and Frank Granger still actively involved in the Club as Master Curlers. Longmuir, affectionately known as “Tiger” managed Golden Ears for 25 of the 1st 32 years, retiring in 1989.

The club thrived for several years while gaining the reputation as one of the most friendly, fun curling rinks in the Valley. In 1981, after 24 years of good service, the “Quonset-hut” was replaced with a new modern facility, which was leased from the Municipality and located beside the hockey arena downtown.

In 2000 the Golden Ears Winter Club moved to its third location near the Albion Fair grounds in a partnership with the District of Maple Ridge and Planet Ice(RG Properties). The new curling facility is unique to any other club as it has 3 short training sheets at the far end of the building. The sheets are used by the younger juniors in the Junior programs as well as Elementary school groups. Often you will find high performance curlers working on various aspects of their deliveries. Curl BC has hosted a couple of Curling Camps at Golden Ears taking advantage of the training sheets.

Provincial Champions from GEWC
2004 Diane Dezura
2003 Toni Fister, Teri Fister, Denise Byers, Angela Strachan
2000 Kelley  Law and Diane Nelson -Olympian Bronze Medalist and World Champions
1997 Kelley Owens
1995 Kelley Owens
1992 Kelley Owens
1990 Kelley Atkins, Donna Maitland, Karen Koyanagi and Terry Ridley

Senior Women
2002 Mo MacLeod, Betty Johnson, Linda Watson, Diane Hill
2001 Mo MacLeod
1992 Sheila Armstrong

Senior Men – CCA
1977 Jake Block, Tony Fold, Dale Longmuir, Frank Granger

Senior Men – CIBC
1999 Ed Dezura
1996 Ed Dezura

Masters Men
2004 Ed Dezura, Howard Grisack
2002 Ed Dezura, Howard Grisack, David Bettesworth, Lorne Schwindt

Junior Mens – Pepsi

1992 Grant Dezura, Stewart Glynes, Scott Gregory, Andrew Paul
1991 Grant Dezura, Steward Gleynes, Scott Gregory, Andrew Paul
1976 Greg Monkmon, Kim neubauer, Mike Fehler, Jim Makinson

Men (Brier)

2004 Jay Peachey, Ron Leech, Kevin Recksiedler, Brad Fenton

2000 Brent Pierce – Safeway Select Mens (Brier and World Champion)

1998 Brent Pierce, Darin Fenton – Safeway Select Mens

Mainland BC Club Challenge and Pacific International Cup
2006 Mo MacLeod, Bev Allen, Heather Brown, Roberta Major – Bronze
2006 Cal Fister, Cary Blackburn, Brent Kupser, Don Wakefield – Gold